Somewhere over the Rainbow.

Today's Tids Issue 3,401

Opening Stuff:

Evolution or creationism. Genes restraint and stimulus or adaptive imagination. Everybody has a theory about what they can’t understand. Evolutionists don’t just argue against religion and God’s creation, but they argue between themselves especially the scientists versus the liberal arts literary. What it boils down to though, is that we are us, and we as the human species have indeed evolved. God is in our lives or not, but God does not tell us when to step off a curb into a speeding car. No we, well most of us, are all whole, with the ability to grow efficiently within our own talents and abilities even when handicapped; often able to outperform limitations. When we wait for the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, we will not find it. Too often we get lost in arguments instead of living with reality. I evolve every day, but I always try to remember my humble beginnings as a little sperm swimming in a giant universe. It’s nice to start a week with a little philosophy.

Of all the great stuff written by Beethoven, I’m thinking that I like best his 4^th Piano Concerto.

I just generally hate mischievous vandalism. None has brought me to tears like the incident last week, when the Director of “The imPossible Dream Playground” opened the gates to the playfield for Children with Disabilities only to find it in ruin. Not mere tip over’s and spray painting, but damage as if it was swept aside by the Japanese Tsunami. Why, why, why? I don’t understand it from so many levels. My heart was aching for the woman who had poured so much love, so much of herself into the retreat for those who have so few fluffy clouds upon which to romp. But I knew also immediately that RI’ers would step up big, and fast, and help her put it back that together. And they did, hundreds immediately, led by a Democrat and Clinton buddy with lots of dough, Marc Weiner, who said it will be made right.  Some days politics don’t count a smidge.

Every time you think there’s even the slightest chance that the US culture may be turning the corner upward, you see masses of litter on the streets. And then you know that selfish inconsideration is well and good.

The Question:

During his 900 episodes of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, good ole’ Fred wore 24 different sweaters. Who made them? Bonus: What are the most favorite apps, websites or social media for teens? Double Bonus: What does the following phrase mean to you? “Consilience in Art, Music, and Literature. Does Evolution Really Explain 'Everything'?" 

The Headlines:

--Financial Week: Euro Stocks Up; US Futures Flat; Yuan Steadies Pushing Asia Stocks Higher.

--US Is To Withdraw Patriot Missiles From Turkey.

--Trump Advisors Have Top Candidate Wearing Baseball Cap To Hide Hairdo.

--"Over The Rainbow" First Heard By USA 76 Years Ago.

--Khoumeini Says Deal Or No Deal, Iran Will Never be Polictical Or Economic US Ally.

--Trump Calls For End Of “Birthright Citizenship”; Hillary Email Scandal Widening.

--In Emotional Finish, Jason Day Wins PGA; New World Top Golfer Standings – Jordan Spieth, Rory McElroy, Day.

--Activist Julian bond Dies.

I had a sort of a bummer of a weekend as I could not get past the ultimate insult to Good Ole’ Charlie Brown on Friday. Maybe you saw it and your heart ached too. Ole’ Charlie was pitching in anther losing effort, and even more unstable than ever as he kept on trying to catch the eye of the girl of his dreams, the Cute Little Red Haired Girl in the stands. He became so distraught he had to leave. In came the ever capable Linus, who proceeded to pitch so well that Charlies’ team actually won a game. The little Red Haired girl was so excited that she ran to the pitcher’s mound and gave Linus a gigantic hug. How awful. How devastating. How eternally painful.

You’ll find your dreams, Charlie, some day, somewhere over the Rainbow. They are always there, always alive. Even the cute little Red haired Girl knows you are there. She does, Charlie. She does. I know it. I feel it. Just do something about it and it will happen.

I like the new “Big 3” in golf.

I’m continually amazed at how good pork tastes! That’s because a well know chef told me that the reason pork dishes are often served with apples, peaches, god forbid apricots or grapes is became “Pork has no taste”. Too mnay people are swayed beyond their own beliefs by the barrage of so-called experts, or an evolving society and culture. But almost always what’s in your heart and brains is pretty close to being damned right on the money. If you like the taste of pork, enjoy it. How easy is that?

I had to laugh at the editorial about the impact of a recent Connecticut Supreme Court decision that said “The Death penalty is no longer  meets society’s evolving standards of decency.” Standards of Decency! Standards that seem to get lower with every passing year? Maybe raising standards would reduce the numbers of prisoners? Maybe if more people respected others and received respect, there would be less anger, jealousy, envy. And, how decent are some of those on death row, like the miserable twosome in Cheshire CT who ravaged and murdered teen girls and their loving mother. Yeah, I’d like to see evolving standards of decency – upwards!

One of the tougher shopping chores in this new age of whatever is trying buy a simple, relatively inexpensive, small portable radio. If you ca’t say “Blue Tooth”, clerks don’t get it. If you say you don’t care about listening to music, they run for straightjackets. I mean, dinosaurs have lives too.

I have to wonder if more people die from pneumonia after shopping in chilling vegetable sections of super markets. The ultimate irony -- Going for healthy eating and getting a life threatening infection is not a good trade off. The Cheeto’s aisles are warm and cozy.

I watch these H&G shows and read home sale ads where a large kitchen is always an object of desire. But, then I see that most people put islands in the middle of the kitchen which creates a work space similar  to that of the so-called “tiny” galley kitchen. Size is overated, well at least in the kitchen.

The term “Healthy meals” is relative. If you eat a small so-called unhealthy meal and stuff yourself with prepared healthy meals, you’re just about even, despite what it says on the label.

It seems these days that the way to draw crowds to a good ole’ Country Fair as we now have over in Washington County is to feature “Fried Oreo’s” in the publicity. If you featured bowls of apricots, nobody would come.

The way tourists outfits are deconstructing, I wouldn’t be surprised to see before long that we’ll be back to clam shells and loincloths. I should talk, most of the time I look like a waiter at a seaside fried fish shack.

The Parking Lot: Chapter 10 continues…

    Jermiah stood there for a moment touching Masetta, feeling her nearness only with the emotions he was having trouble restraining. They wanted to touch, maybe fingertips, but mothers were watching. The Wampanoag tribe was a matrilineal society, where women controlled land and trading. Where first homes of newlyweds were always within the homes of the mothers.

    And of course, even though well known, and apparently liked by the sachems and the leaders of the tribe, Jermiah was an Englishman. Increasingly in Wampanoag locations, the distrust between the natives and the Plymouth colonists was increasing. This was especially true Northeast of here in Mount Hope where a relative of Massetta, King Phillip the secong=d son of Massasoiet, was exerting a new authority over the region. Phillip’s real name was Metacom, but like Elizabeth/Masetta, many Wampanoag were given English names because of Squanto’s influence after his experience in England.

    The two young people now turned, briefly touching shoulders, further stoking the rising heat. They walked silence still under the scrutiny of the women, who now were back to their chores, but not with blind eyes. “Let’s ride south to the river,” he said in a whisper. Wamsetta looked back after they had walked behind a home, and answered yes with a squeeze of his hand. He grasped her soft fingers, wanted to turn and hold her. But he restrained himself which only fueled his growing warmth.

   “Soon,” she said knowing of her lover’s desire, and her own. She left him to get her own horse and make excuses to the woman, not for going off wit the white boy, but because she would be missing her work. Strangely she thought, the woman appeared agreeable, though their faces remained stoic as their hands busily prepared foods for winter storage.

The Answer:

Why it was dear old Mom who made her son Fred roger’s sweaters. Maybe that was part of the charm of the long running show. Bonus: First, the Individual Category Trophies (ICT’s) – Instagram – “Most Engaged Users”; Facebook – “Most daily Users”; YouTube – “Most Widepread Usage”. Ok, here’s the % who use a partiuclar website or app daily: Texting  87%; FB – 61; YouTube 55; Instagram (Owned by FB) – 51; Snapchat – 40. Afterthat top five you have Pandora, Twitter, Phone Call, ITUnes, Netflix, Google, Pinterest, Vine, Tumblr, Spotify with numbers above 10%. Double Bonus: I don’t know what it means either. That’s why I asked.

So in closing, I have to say, more cold and more snow and “Nobody uses FaceBook any more.” --Yup, the Ole farmer’s Almanac, which to me has been right almost all of the time is saying we will have more snow and colder days than last year. The northeast will be a little whiter and crispier, while the Midwest will freeze again. And the cold is expected to reach deeper into the south. And even bring a true winter to the northwest. –A group of high school kids were chatting about their own pretty successful business, and the marketing of it. They all agreed with the statement above uttered by the biz owner and senior in HS. FaceBook is on top of the standings, but that’s what you hear the kids saying Nothing last forever, and “forever” is shorter than ever.

Have a pleasant, pondering week.